Aish also disagrees with Buhari, who ‘has done a terribly bad job as President’
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
“I made the offer to them before, and am making it again now, that the four of us – Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu, Lai Mohammed, and myself – should sit round a table to discuss government policies … issues of national interest,” Matthew Kukah said on national television on Tuesday.
Kukah, the true friend and chief critic of Muhammadu Buhari up North, was dismissing the lies of the President’s false prophets who merely “drink coffee” in Aso Rock and churn out statements that fail to address issues raised.
There are many critics of Buhari in the South. There are also in the North, but the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese stands out. And he has, with all integrity, been speaking truth to both military and civilian administrations for decades.
“Even [Buhari’s] wife [Aisha] has also disagreed with his policies,” Kukah told Arise TV in firing back at Buhari’s messengers, Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu, and Lai Mohammed, who avoid substance and accuse him of hatred of the President.
“Nigerians have been extraordinarily magnanimous because I have not had many people saying we disagree with you and I have not spoken because I know the issue,” he added.
Buhari’s spokesmen do not discuss policies
Kukah said Adesina and Shehu do not know the mind of Buhari but “second guess him” and send out “poorly written” statements that do not dwell on issues raised.
He chastised them for failing to “discuss policies” as Reuben Abati did when he was the spokesman of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He recounted how he liaised with Abati to get Jonathan to sign the peace accord between Jonathan and Buhari in 2015 when Buhari was All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.
Kukah noted that Adesina and Shehu fail to hold question and answer sessions with journalists, as it is being done in the United States by President Joe Biden’s Press Secretary, Jen Psaki – watched by both national and global audiences.
Criticism not personal
Kukah said: “All those saying I attacked the President, I have never attacked his person. All I have spoken about is his inability to manage diversities effectively and efficiently. I have studied diversity as a subject and I know what I am talking about.
“Those who think these things are personal would see that I have never talked about his person or character; I believe he is a gentleman but as far as being the President is concerned, he has done a bad job, even his wife has also disagreed with his policies.
“So, those guys should not sit in their air-conditioned office drinking coffee and thinking everything is honky-donkey. Let them disagree with the text of my message.
“Let me set the record straight, I delivered my sermon to my congregation and the message. The bearers of the message are directed primarily to the good people of Sokoto diocese.
“The President knows that I have great respect for him and he is a gentleman, but he has done a terribly bad job as the President of Nigeria.
“There is nothing I am saying that is new; all the pastors who preached yesterday during the Easter service said the same thing. Tell me one thing about the message that I preached that you disagree with and let’s discuss.
Kukah said he speaks directly with Buhari on the phone and his criticism of the government is nothing personal, he is only exhibiting his “passion” and zeal to see things get better in the country.
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Kukah’s public position on issues
“For a Muslim [Garba Shehu] to sit down and tell me what an Easter message should contain is something.
“Buhari himself knows that there is nothing personal in what I say. One thing the President has said that humbled me is that he told me, ‘Bishop Kukah, I know where you stand on any issue that has to do with Nigeria.’
“What connected me with Buhari and a lot of Muslims is not the Catholic Church, it is my public position on a lot of things. And I am not saying it so that you must agree with me.
“But Nigerians have been extraordinarily magnanimous because I have not had many people saying we disagree with you and I have not spoken because I know the issue.
“The primary beneficiary of what I say is me and I speak for myself. If you have any issues with me, let’s clarify the issue.”